Insurance policies are always confusing. Few people truly understand exactly what their different insurance policies cover, or how those policies interact and overlap to pay out benefits after an emergency.
After a car accident, many victims are left feeling confused and helpless, unsure of whether they are getting the full amount of benefits that they deserve under their specific set of insurance policies and coverage.
Here are a few things to know about how health insurance and auto insurance work after a car accident:
Your auto insurance policy is the first line of defense following a car accident. If you have medical coverage on your auto policy, it will be the first policy to pay out on your medical bills. This is usually comprehensive policies or certain PIP policies. The details of how much your auto insurance coverage will pay vary widely between policies, so it is important that you understand exactly how much medical coverage you have under that policy.
Your health insurance company may balk at paying for any medical care related to the car accident. Depending on your car insurance policy, you may get benefits from your auto insurance company to cover certain medical bills. If you are receiving benefits from your auto policy, your medical company may deny bills related to the accident.
If your bills exceed what the auto policy covers, you may be able to seek coverage through your health insurance. The health insurance company may try to deny this, though.
Auto insurance companies may try to deny medical coverage for an injury they believe existed before the car accident. For instance, if you had back problems before the accident, but sustained further injury during the accident, the auto insurance company may try to deny the claim, saying it was pre-existing, even though it was worsened by the accident.
Insurance companies know that their customers do not understand insurance law. They play to this advantage by denying coverage, when they feel they can. Policy holders who work through a skilled personal injury attorney often receive higher settlements because the insurance company does not want to risk going to litigation.
At the Law Office of , we work with car accident victims every day, digging into the details of their insurance policies to make sure they are getting the full amount of compensation they legally deserve. If the insurance companies not paying out an adequate amount, we advocate on our client’s behalf to make sure they get the benefits they need and deserve. For more information, click here.
